The Heart of the Matter
by Boneos
Summary: What will happen when Sweets' book is published? Will Booth and Brennan be prepared for the revelations found inside?
1. Chapter 1

Laying the book down on the sofa, Dr. Temperance Brennan stared blankly at the clock on the wall. 2:00 AM. How would she be able to sleep now?

Sweets had given her and Booth a copy of his book at yesterday's session asking if they could please read it when they had a chance. With such a strong background in education, Brennan had felt compelled to begin reading the book immediately as she would any reading assignment. If Brennan had been completely honest with herself, she would have realized her competitive nature had kicked in as it so often seemed to do in Booth's presence. She wouldn't take the chance he finished reading the book first. Honest or not, that had been her initial motivation. Then she began reading the book. Sweets had started by describing their first session, the trust exercises he had forced upon them and Booth's resistance to being posed as an action figure. Brennan had recalled the event perfectly and found Sweets' insights boring, at first. Brennan's curiosity began to take hold as Sweets began describing their personalities and then explained that even though they were superficially opposites, they were in fact the same personality type. Brennan still marveled at how a professed expert in the field that was supposedly dedicated to the study of human nature could get it so wrong. He had then gone on to say that they shared a strong attraction to each other not only mentally but physically as well. He explained that one of them had been aware of this attraction for quite some time and had been struggling to maintain the professional partnership on which they both so heavily relied. Sweets had suggested that this struggle was beginning to wear on their partnership. It was this last insight that concerned her the most.

Brennan had never made an effort to delve any deeper into her feelings regarding Booth on this subject. She had so far found their partnership to be extremely successful and fulfilling and had not wished to disturb the balance. Now presented with Sweets observations in black and white, Temperance was forced to take a deeper look inside and agree that she was in fact sexually drawn to Booth. With this realization came a new one, if she was just now coming to terms with her feelings, then Booth must be the one Sweets believed to be aware of this attraction. Why had he never said anything? The line. There was a line and had been put there for a reason, to prevent dangerous situations. Long ago Brennan learned to live with the line. She hadn't tried to argue the validity because there had always been a small voice inside telling her the line was really there because Booth did not wish to ever be in a romantic relationship with her. Now that she knew that wasn't the case the only other answer was the line. Booth believed the line would protect them from life threatening entanglements.

Lately Brennan had been noticing changes in her partner. Could this be the corrosive element to which Sweets had referred? Booth had seemed to be on edge more and the bickering they use to share in had taken a decidedly darker turn. It felt as though Booth was now holding grudges. When before he use to laugh off an awkward comment or an argument against a personal belief instead he now retreated into himself. Was the line now in fact jeopardizing their partnership?

This would be the point where Brennan would usually resolve to seek out Booth for insight; however, Booth didn't seem like the logical choice in this particular instance. She would talk to him later, after more information had been gathered. Perhaps Sweets? No, discussing this with him felt a little like talking behind Booth's back. Even if Sweets were responsible for the initial postulation, discussing something of such a personal nature without Booth present felt wrong. Besides, Sweets had presented his arguments in the book, it would be safe to assume she had everything she was going to get out of him. Angela? Angela had on many occasions offered helpful advice regarding her partnership with Booth. She had also expressed her opinion that there was more than a purely platonic vibe, as she liked to put it, in their partnership. Angela seemed the most reasonable choice and Brennan decided to find her first thing and gain more information on the subject.

So now the question was, power nap or yoga?

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The sound of gunfire filled the room around him. It was amazing how many people took advantage of the federal 24 hour gun range. Usually this many shooters so close together would present an added distraction for Special Agent Seeley Booth, but this evening he had had no trouble focusing on his target. Three quick shots followed mere seconds later by a fourth. A quick glance at the target confirmed three shots center mass and one follow up to the head.

This time while lining up his shot Booth let his mind drift back to Sweets and that damn book. He knew that book was going to be trouble, just look at who wrote it. No more proof needed, thank you. When Sweets had handed them each an advance copy of the stupid thing the first thing Seeley wanted to do was to grab Bones' copy and run. He just knew that there were going to be questions that would come out of that book that he wasn't prepared to answer yet. Bones wasn't even ready to ask any of them and she sure as hell wasn't ready to answer any herself. Knowing Bones as well as he did, Booth ran home and read through it. He knew it would be pointless to try to keep her from reading it, so it would be best to be as prepared as possible for whatever. After reading it the urge to shoot something was overwhelming. Trouble was he couldn't shoot Sweets, so he had to settle for the gun range. Three more shots and then a new clip loaded.

The biggest problem was the kid was right, dammit, about everything. Where it mattered they were exactly the same, they were attracted to each other, he had been aware of this attraction for a while and the struggle was beginning to wear him down. He was beginning to lose patience with Bones. He still believed in the line, the line was there for a purpose, but the line hadn't protected him from falling in love with her. He had tried, Lord knows he had tried.

He thought it would be easy at first honestly. She seemed so different, always arguing the validity of monogamy, mocking his beliefs in God, and her adamant refusal to reproduce. That was at first. Then he gotten to know her and realized that many of these ideas were really a smoke screen. They each represented a defense and were meant to hide the bigger issues underneath. She didn't believe in monogamy because she believed her relationships were temporary. This Booth was convinced had to do with the temporary relationships she made with her foster families, if you could call them families. Hell, he wasn't even sure if you could call them relationships for that matter. Her mocking attitude of a Higher Being was her attempt at trying to maintain control of her environment. Over a life that had started spinning out of control at such a young age. Brennan had learned early on what it was like to live a life with no center, people telling you where you had to go, who you had to live with and she had had no control over the terrible things that had been inflicted upon her. Adamantly refusing to ever procreate was concealing the biggest issue of all. Bones was afraid that she wouldn't be a good parent. What had she had to learn from? Parents that abandoned her? Foster guardians that abused her? How could she have possibly learned to be a caring, loving parent? But just as Booth had shown her the importance of monogamy and the comfort one could get from believing in something bigger than yourself, he was certain he would be able to teach her how to give from herself. That's all she needed, she had all of the other ingredients for a good mother, she just needed to learn how to tap into that. They could be a family. They just weren't quite there yet.

Booth had run out of ammo, and he also realized he had run out of time. This book was going to push them to an end. It would either be the end of their partnership, the end of any romantic possibilities or the end of his torment.


	2. Chapter 2

"Sweetie I must say you are remarkably calm for having had that much revelation showered upon you."

Brennan had grabbed Angela the moment she had walked in this morning and after a brief argument over the necessity of morning coffee, which Angela won, Brennan had ushered her into her office. She had sat quietly and listened to the cliff notes version of Sweets' book and Brennan's own discoveries from the night before. After having personally witnessed five years worth of the Booth and Brennan love affair, Angela was impressed the young psychiatrist had been able to so correctly categorize their relationship. Of course they were fairly obvious.

"So what does Booth have to say about Sweets' conclusions?"

"I haven't talked to him yet."

"Really? You do realize you're going to have to discuss this with him, right?"

"Of course I do. I was just hoping for some additional insight before doing so. I'm still not certain how many of Sweets' theories I agree with, if any at all."

Angela's heart went out to her friend. This must be hard on her. Brennan had come to rely so completely on her partnership with Booth that this new development had to be rocking her to the core. Not that anyone could really tell. Brennan had a natural knack for adeptly locking away outward signs of any inner turmoil. She must have one hell of a poker face.

"Ok, this is one of those times you're going to have to recognize you are not qualified to question someone else's observations of the human psyche."

"So you're saying you agree with Sweets?"

"As much as I would love to deny it, yes I do." Taking a deep breath Angela pressed on, "Alright, you've admitted you're willing to agree Booth's awareness of his attraction towards you and the possibility that this could be causing Booth's recent funk. Let's start there. What did this discovery make you feel?"

"At first I felt confusion, why wouldn't Booth tell me something like this? Especially if keeping this information to himself was beginning to put a strain on our partnership?"

"Sweetie, don't you get it? That's a lot to put on someone that isn't even acknowledging their own attraction. Plus you aren't exactly on board with the whole marriage and babies thing and Booth is a marriage and babies kind of man. You know that in order for Booth to risk something as important as your partnership he would have to be certain you were willing to go all the way with him. And no, before you ask I don't mean that in a sexual connotation, I'm talking about commitment."

"I do admit that while I still find the idea of marriage archaic, I have found that the concept of monogamy no longer holds the negative association it once did."

"Well that's certainly a step in the right direction." Angela gave Brennan an encouraging smile, "Let's move on, shall we? What theory exactly do you have a problem with agreeing to?"

"The presupposition that Booth and I share the same basic character traits. I value reason, logic and empirical evidence. Booth is all about his gut and feelings. I fail to see the resemblance."

Angela almost slapped her hand to her forehead. Sweets lays a bombshell on her, revealing her partner's attraction and this is the point she chooses to argue? How could someone so brilliant be so oblivious?

"Honey, that's just what's on the outside. It's what's in the gooey center that matters. You and Booth are extremely loyal, value justice to the point of devoting your lives to its pursuit, and are both rigid in your personal disciplines. That's just off the top of my head, I'm sure if given more time I could come up with a few more." Angela watched Brennan for a moment as the idea took hold. "What I'm trying to say is, if you dig a little deeper, you will realize you and Booth are more alike than you may be willing to admit."

"So what should I do now? What would you do if you were in my position?"

"First you need to decide for yourself what you want out of this. Are you willing to risk your partnership for Booth? And don't focus on the silly details like marriage and babies. Trust me, those things will work themselves out. But if you want to know what I would do?" Brennan nodded her head quickly. "I would grab a hold of that man and never let go. That's five years of sexual repression there girl. You definitely need to hold on tight and ride that one out. Now that is decidedly a sexual reference."

Angela was happy to see a trademark Brennan smile appear at her little joke. Since she had been waiting for the inevitable question, Angela wasn't surprised when Brennan asked, "Even after what happened with you and Hodgins?"

Angela paused a moment to contemplate her answer. "I wouldn't exactly consider the biography on Jack and I completed yet. Hopefully you'll realize for yourself that when you have something wonderful, sometimes the story takes a little longer to tell."

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Dr. Lance Sweets had no time after the brisk knock on his door to prepare himself for a visit with Seeley Booth so early in the morning. But there he was, already through the door, sitting down and launching into his interrogation. All with a feral grace Sweets still found unnerving for a man his size.

"Sweets, I read your book last night and I was hoping you'd have a few minutes to discuss it with me."

Lance tried to hide the smile that he couldn't completely suppress. "Of course Agent Booth, I would love to answer any questions you might have regarding my observations. I'm sure you have many troubling topics you wish to discuss."

"No, I'm not really here to discuss anything _inside_ the book. I'm here more to talk about the book in general. You know I really don't appreciate having my personal life laid open for the entire world to see."

If Sweets hadn't already been sitting, this would have been a perfect moment to do so. Booth's voice had softened taking on that steely edge, the look he saw in the agent's eyes would have made him take a step back.

"Um, yes, well, I took great care to not disclose any personal details that would directly link you or Dr. Brennan to the book." Sweets managed to stammer out. "I'm sure anyone that doesn't directly know you two would ever associate you with the book."

"See, that's the problem, it's the people that know us that I'm worried about." Booth seemed to pull into himself, "More specifically us is what I'm worried about."

Sweets held his breath for a few moments hoping to not draw attention to himself. Booth so rarely opened up, Sweets didn't want to ruin the moment so he held himself quietly still. Unfortunately whatever Booth seemed to be reflecting on only held his interest momentarily and he sprung back to life asking, "What were you thinking putting something as private as that out there?"

"Agent Booth, wouldn't you rather have this out in the open so you and Dr. Brennan can discuss your partnership?"

Booth abruptly leaned forward causing Sweets to flinch back in his chair. "See that's the problem with you psychiatrists, you're always trying to get us to open up and share what we're thinking. Sometimes you have to let things play themselves out naturally. You can't rush a butterfly's metamorphosis. You have to give it time to come out of the cocoon on its own. If you try to rush it, it dies. Then you have a dead caterpillar and no butterfly. Are you gettin' me?"

"Yes, I do believe I understand your point."

"No, I haven't made my point entirely clear yet Sweets. You see, I'm a big fan of butterflies with their colorful wings and their delicate touches. So if your meddling book has in anyway damaged this metamorphosis, I will have to come back here and finish our discussion." Booth then stood towering over Sweets for a couple of seconds. "Now I believe I've made my point." He then turned stepping around the couch heading for the door. He paused and turned, "Oh, and don't go pestering Bones about what she thinks of your 'troubling topics', in fact, just leave her alone for a while. I'm sure if she has any questions or anything she would like to talk to you about, she'll come to you. Otherwise, leave her alone. Ok?"

"Yes, of course Agent Booth. I understand completely."

"I can see that you do." Booth flashed a brief smile before turning and leaving.

Sweets sat in his chair for several minutes after Booth left. He no longer felt excited by the prospect of his book being released, in fact some might say he felt a little frightened.


	3. Chapter 3

Booth watched his partner kneel next to the skeletal remains. She was dressed in the usual crime scene costume, Jeffersonian jumpsuit and waders. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail exposing the pale skin of her graceful neck. He was momentarily distracted with images of walking up behind her, pressing his lips to the skin just below her ear, imagining her quick intake of breath. Would she let her head fall back exposing more of herself to him? Great, now the blue jumpsuit was turning him on. He had to distract himself from this line of thinking. Sweets in a Speedo. That did it. He was having to this more and more these days, and that was before the book. That damn book. The drive over had been quiet, the SUV filled with tension. Thankfully the ride had been a short one. They had been called in to investigate some remains that had washed up on the shore of the Potomac.

"An African American female, between seventy to ninety years old. It looks like the body has been in the water for close to a year. Multiple fractures across the rib cage and both femurs appear to have been made post mortem."

"Do the injuries look intentional?"

"I won't be able to say conclusively until I can examine the remains in the lab. It could be the result of the body being tossed against sizable debris or rocks. There are some remnants of clothing left, they'll need to make sure and get as much as they can so Hodgins can check for particulates. We even have some soft tissue. Cam might be able to gather more information."

Brennan took off her gloves and began walking up the hill towards Booth. "So far there is no clear indication of cause of death."

"Ok, just let me know what you find. We'll need to get an identification soon, I'd hate to think someone out there is missing their grandmother. Man I hope we don't have a grandma killer on the loose."

They began walking back to the truck. Booth was anxious to begin laying the foundation for 'the talk' with Bones. She was apparently still in contemplation mode and he wanted to see what train of thought she was following. Booth remotely popped the lock on the truck so Bones could open the back and remove her jumpsuit. Hell, there was even a chance she hadn't read the book yet. She was a busy woman, surely reading a book Sweets had written wouldn't rank very high on her list of priorities. Maybe the tension was all in his head. Hey this day was beginning to look up.

"So Bones, any plans for lunch? How about we head on over to the diner?"

"Yes, I think that is a good idea. I read Sweets' book last night and I wanted to go over it with you."

Or maybe not. Hell, he was definitely in hell. Booth watched as she removed her jumpsuit. Fortunately the current topic of conversation kept him from imagining more appealing ways of removing her clothes. "You read Sweets book? All of it? All in one night?"

Brennan began packing away her gear, "Yes, initially I thought it would be best to begin as soon as possible, I find procrastinating when faced with an unpleasant task to be counterproductive. Once I began reading the book however, I found some of Sweets' conclusions interesting. Have you read it yet?"

Booth watched her for a few moments, using her distraction to give him time to consider his answer. How should he respond? On the one hand, if he told her he read it that would imply he cared about what Sweets would have to say about their partnership. Which he didn't. But thinking he cared about Sweets opinion might lead her to believe he might agree with Sweets. Which depending on her reaction he might not want her thinking, yet. On the other hand, if he said no, then that might imply he didn't care about their partnership. That he could argue by saying it was Sweets opinions he didn't care about. Deciding to play his cards close to his chest until he could get a better reading off of Bones, Booth went with plausible deniability. He might even be able to buy himself a little time.

He opened the door to the truck and climbed in. As Brennan closed her door and fastened her seatbelt Booth told a little white lie, "Me? Nah, I'm not even sure if I took it in last night. It might still be here in the truck. Interesting conclusions you say? I may have to crack it open tonight."

The rest of the ride was filled with small talk and fortune smiled on them as they quickly found a spot near the diner and walked in to find their favorite table was also available. Booth was glad for the more private setting the table offered as opposed to the counter. He would have preferred they had this discussion at either his or her apartment, but he had a feeling this subject might take more than just one sit down to work through.

After placing their orders Booth leaned forward. "So, what was it you wanted to go over?"

"Well, I'm hesitant to discuss all of the observations Sweets made without you reading the book first. Some of the theories might be considered more of a personal nature and I'd like you to make your own conclusions without my influencing you."

Booth almost jumped up and did a little dance. He had earned a reprieve! He didn't remember doing anything lately to deserve this manna from heaven, but he would take it.

"However, there is one topic that I would like to bring up now."

Ah, so he hadn't been such a good boy lately, had he? Booth wasn't sure if he would be able to survive the rollercoaster that was his day. All of this up and down was beginning to take a toll. And the day was only half way over.

Brennan took a breath as Booth held his.

"Sweets made the point that you and I share many of the same basic personality traits and listed a few. Angela even had some of her own to add. What are your thoughts?"

"You talked to Angela about this?" Hey, hey, looks like he might have caught a break. Angela could give him a little peek into what was going on inside Bones' head. A little fore-knowledge is fore-warning.

"Yes, while I might not agree with psychology, I do admit some insight into the workings of the human mind can be beneficial. Also, there are aspects of the human psyche I am not well versed. I'm willing to admit the limits of my expertise." Booth briefly wondered why Brennan seemed a little defensive. "So I talked to Angela about it this morning."

"What did Angela have to say? Does she agree we're made with the same cookie cutter?"

"Yes, Angela believes we share the same basic makeup. She said we both value the pursuit of justice, are loyal, and we are both very self disciplined. She said she would be able to produce more examples if pressed."

"And what about you? What does all of this mean to you?"

"I find the concept gaining in merit, but I'm still hesitant to completely commit."

Booth was sure her choice of words weren't intentional. She had just in typical Brennan fashion accidentally stumbled onto the real issue.

"So now you want to know if I think you and I are alike. Ask yourself this Bones, does it matter? I mean think about it, there are times we bicker over stuff, but that stuff is just stuff. Stuff sometimes has a way of working itself out. But when you get right down to it, when it really counts, we have each other's back. That's what's most important, because that's trust. And with just a little trust we can build anything. So the sky's the limit for us Bones."

Booth's eyes bore into hers attempting to tell her everything he needed her to understand. His trust in her, his belief in them, and the hope he was desperately holding onto. He needed to tread lightly here. He had started down this road knowing it was a marathon, not a sprint. But staring into her clear blue gaze Seeley was almost positive he saw something shift. He felt as if another piece of the puzzle was successfully put in place. There may be more pieces than he realized, but he had a clear picture of what the end result looked like and by God he was going to do everything he within his power to find them all and put him and Bones together.


	4. Chapter 4

Booth and Brennan returned from lunch to find everyone already on the platform processing the remains of the woman they had found that morning. Dr. Saroyan and Wendell were bent over one table, the young intern busy categorizing the visible fractures while Cam looked for any traces of tissue. Hodgins and Angela were at another table sorting through the clothing looking for particulates or possible identifying accessories. As they stepped on the platform Cam spoke up, "So far we have found very little tissue, the fact that we've found anything at all is very unusual."

"I have a theory regarding that one," Hodgins spoke up as he and Angela made their way over. "If the body had been wrapped in something protective and caught on the bottom of the river, the colder temperatures might be responsible for preserving the tissue. Maybe the FBI techs should look for some kind of tarp or something while they're out there."

Booth nodded as he wrote down the information. He'd call the crime scene guys on his way back to the office. "Any luck identifying the body yet?"

"So far all we've managed to find is what appears to be an identification tag that was sewn into the clothing. There's quite a bit of damage, but I might be able get something." Angela said stepping away with the tray containing the evidence. "Let me know when you've finished the tissue markers so I can work on her facial reconstruction."

As Angela left the platform, Booth followed her with his eyes for a moment to make sure she was heading to her office. He focused back on the group in time to hear Bones ask, "Mr. Bray have you found anything on the skeleton to indicate cause of death?"

"No, all of the fractures appear to have been caused after the body had been in the water for a while. Due to the significantly decreased bone density, I would say the deceased suffered from severe osteoporosis. That would have made walking around difficult, maybe she just fell into the river and couldn't save herself."

"It's still too early in the process to begin using conjecture. I'll expect a report after you've finished a more thorough examination. Have you found anything useful Hodgins?"

"I've taken a sampling of the algae found on the clothing, I also found some sand and unidentified beetle eggs that may help me locate where the body entered the water." Hodgins quipped stepping off the platform, "I'm off to play nursemaid to a new life."

"I think I have as much as I'm going to be able to get of the tissue. Wendell, you may begin preparation of the skeleton." Cam turned to Booth. "I'm going to run a tox screen, I'll let you know as soon as I have the results."

Booth and Brennan nodded to Cam as they walked toward Bones' office. Booth used the excuse of asking if the osteoporosis could help identify the victim. He was certain had that been a possibility, she would have asked Angela to research it already, but he needed a reason to head in the direction of Angela's office. He didn't really want Bones to know he was going to talk to her yet. Right now his focus was on a little damage control. With a wave to Bones and a quick, "See ya later," Booth then made a beeline for Angela.

Angela didn't turn around from her computer when Booth stepped in her office. Instead she threw over her shoulder as a greeting, "I had a feeling you'd be stopping by on your way out."

Booth wasn't even sure why he asked, "What makes you say that?"

Spinning in her chair she retorted, "Well, it could be that 'man on a mission' look you had in your eye downstairs. I can see you are in need of answers, and not just about our current case."

Booth decided arguing Angela's obviously correct observations would be a waste of time. Instead he got right to the point, "Look, this book thing. I know she's talked to you about it." Booth held up his hand when Angela started to speak. "I'm not here to get you to tell me what she said. I'm here to ask for advice."

The look on Angela's face let him know she appreciated his concern for protecting her friend's privacy. Booth brought a chair over sitting down in front of her. "I just need to know how to proceed. I need to know if now is the right time for this, or if I should give her a little space."

Booth leaned forward intent on learning any information he could from Angela's face or body language. He knew he would memorize everything she said. His world depended on it.

"I think she's open more now than before, but I don't think she's come to a decision yet on how deep she's willing to dig. She's still trying to gather all the facts and some of those facts will need to come from you. Patience would also be a virtue in this particular instance."

"I seem to be in short supply of that lately. I'm not sure how much patience I have left."

"Yeah, we've all seen you've had a shorter fuse lately. It feels a little like the O.K. corral around here with all the gun slinging." Angela's face reflected concern. "Have you considered that this book could be a good thing? Maybe get things out in the open so you guys can talk."

"That's the same thing Sweets said."

"Geesh, he and I seem to be doing that a lot today."

"Bones already mentioned you agreed we were alike deep down. So you agree with everything else Sweets wrote?"

"You've read the book, huh?" Booth felt the blush at her comment creep up his face. He could see by her smirk it hadn't gone unnoticed. Why did he ask the pointless question? Deciding not to hide what he was feeling, he didn't look away, this was too important. He just waited. Angela searched his face for a few more moments, satisfied with what she saw, "I must say I'm a little surprised you would ask that. I would have thought Brennan would have been the only one oblivious to my double-entendres."

"I haven't been oblivious." Booth bent putting his head in his hands. He knew he could trust Angela with his secrets just as Bones had done. "The thing is, I know Bones. I know she needs time to gather all the evidence, process everything and come to a decision." Booth raised his head and Angela gasped at the torment she saw there. "But God, I wish this could be over, just one way or the other. Then I'd know. And no matter how it turned out I could move on, because this not knowing is killing me."

Angela put her hand on his arm and he appreciated the comforting gesture. "Hang in there Booth. At least she's asking questions now, right? Before she wouldn't allow herself that, and you know Brennan, when she really begins working something out, it doesn't take her long to make up her mind. Just be around in case she needs any help doing it."

He could do that. He knew from experience that a little gentle nudging on his part could help point Brennan in the right direction. If she was still asking questions then she hadn't yet reached a decision, and that meant Booth still had time to convince her. Booth's grin was contagious. "Oh, don't you worry. I intend to help her any way I can."

As Booth left her office, Angela was glad to see his cocky strut return. She had no doubts that if anyone could persuade Brennan to their way of thinking it would be Booth.


	5. Chapter 5

That evening, Brennan read over the reports she had received regarding their latest Jane Doe. Wendell had found no indicators of any wounds received prior to death; however, the toxicology tests Cam had run showed high levels of Tacrine, a drug used for the treatment of Alzheimer's, and large doses would be toxic to the liver. Judging by the amount still found in the tissue, this could not have been accidental and would have to have been delivered over a period of time. They still didn't have an ID on the victim, but they had established that the woman was murdered. Angela had been able to complete her facial reconstruction, but so far had not had any hits off of the missing persons' database. She was more optimistic with the progress she had made on the tag found in the clothing. While she still didn't have anything concrete, she had been able to determine a name and address had been written. Brennan had enough experience to know that until they were able to successfully identify the victim, they would not be able to solve her murder. Nevertheless, the information she had received needed to be conveyed to Booth.

That presented her with her other mystery, Booth. Angela had said she would need to decide for herself if she was willing to risk her partnership with Booth for the chance at a future together. A future for what? So far Temperance Brennan had not had a successful relationship and the evidence did not support the probability of a favorable outcome. Then what? Would she and Booth then be able to continue their partnership? Booth and Cam were still able to work together. Would she be able to maintain a professional relationship when their romantic relationship failed? Yes, she would still be able work with Booth and solve cases. But her partnership with Booth wasn't just about the cases anymore. They had established a personal connection as well. Would their personal relationship survive? And what happened when Booth found a new romantic partner? Something sharp twisted in her chest. No, that was something she couldn't even consider, much less live through. So the most logical decision would be to not risk anything, to maintain the status quo. However, Booth's recent mood swings would suggest the status quo was no longer working. Sweets had even alluded to it in his book.

When had Booth become so essential? The moment they began working together they had displayed an extraordinary combined talent for solving cases. They learned to trust each other under dangerous circumstances and then trust each other with painful experiences from their lives. Booth had become her confidante, she had shared with him secrets she had shared with no one else. She had learned to respect his gut instinct, work ethic and his moral code, even if she didn't always agree with it. But when had he become such an integral part of her life? When had the idea of living without Booth become intolerable?

Brennan felt like she was no closer to a decision than when the day began. She needed Booth to read the book so they could talk about it. Maybe they could reach a compromise. If the restraint he was using was beginning to wear him down, then perhaps it would be best if they engaged in a sexual exchange to relieve the tension. Would Booth agree? She wouldn't be able to answer that question until she talked to him about it.

Deciding a call to Booth was definitely in order, Brennan picked up the phone.

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Booth honked the horn as he avoided hitting the idiot that just cut him off. Where did all this traffic come from? It was after seven for pity's sake! After the rollercoaster of a morning he had had, the afternoon had settled into a quiet tedium. He was frustrated that so far they had made no progress in identifying their latest Jane Doe and they weren't even sure yet if this was in fact a homicide. Seeley felt a little like he was spinning his wheels and he hated that feeling. He hated it in his business life and his personal life as well. But things were moving on the personal front now, weren't they? Apprehension and excitement clawed for dominance.

The ringing of his cell phone brought a welcome distraction; however, looking at the caller ID Booth debated for a moment if he should pick up. Feeling a little foolish at attempting to avoid the inevitable, he answered.

"Hey Bones, what's up? You got an ID for me yet?"

"No, Angela completed the facial reconstruction before she left this evening and is running it through facial recognition for missing persons. So far no hits yet. She is also working on reconstructing the tag found in the clothing and so far has determined it is an identification tag, but the name and address are still illegible. She said several more passes through her restoration program should make the writing clearer."

"Let me know as soon as she does. Any luck on determining cause of death?"

"The tox screen Cam ran shows high levels of Tacrine, a drug used for the treatment of Alzheimer's. Overdoses can cause liver failure and since there is still enough evident in the tissue after all this time, I would say it is safe to conclude the overdose was intentional."

Booth smacked the steering wheel and the horn blared in protest. "So it sounds like our victim was suffering from Alzheimer's and was poisoned. That would mean it was by someone she knew. But we won't be able to investigate further until we have an identification."

"Yes, I know Booth, we are working as quickly as possible to identify our victim." The tension in Booth's face eased slightly at the frustration in Bones' voice.

"I know, I know. I just hate the idea that someone out there poisoned a defenseless woman. That's a special kind of creep."

"I must say the idea doesn't make me feel any better."

"Ok, thanks Bones, I'll wait to hear from you on the ID." Before he could hang up, he heard Bones call out.

"Wait, Booth, don't forget to read Sweets' book tonight, I really think we need to discuss it as soon as possible. I have a few things I'd like to go over."

"Yeah, sure Bones, I'll skim over it tonight."

"No, don't skim it, read it. Please Booth, for me?" Booth's face softened at her pleading tone. As if she would actually have to beg him for anything.

"Ok, I'll read it, front to back tonight, I promise. I'll see ya tomorrow, ok?"

"Ok. Goodnight Booth."

"Night Bones." Booth felt more optimistic as he hung up. Well she wanted to talk about it, right? At least she wasn't intending to ignore everything and continue on as they were. And any step they took to end this torment had to be a step in the right direction, right?


	6. Chapter 6

The day was beginning to show potential already. Bones had called that morning with the news that Angela had successfully restored the name and address on the tag found in their victim's clothing. Rose Sutherland, and the address was in a older suburb just outside of D.C. Booth and Brennan had visited the address and found that the current occupant, Alice Stinson, wasn't related to Rose Sutherland, but she did confirm that she had purchased the home from a William Sutherland. According to Ms. Stinson, William Sutherland had appeared to be alone at the time of the sale of the house a little over a year ago. She also mentioned he had talked about moving into an assisted living establishment. So now Booth found himself sitting at a local diner with Bones, waiting on a call back from the office with more information on William Sutherland's history and current address.

Booth leaned in over his lunch, "So what happened to Rose? No hits on either her name or face in the missing persons' database. She had a tag sewn into her clothing with her name and address. Someone wanted to make sure she made it home again, so why wasn't she reported missing?"

"You're assuming it is Rose Sutherland, so far we haven't confirmed her identity." Bones met him halfway across the table.

"True, Rose could have donated her clothes to charity and we're heading in the wrong direction entirely. If she weren't really missing that would explain why she hadn't been reported missing." Booth leaned back. "I'll be glad when we track down William Sutherland. Hopefully then we'll have something concrete to go on."

He took a sip of his coffee anticipating Bones next question.

"So, did you read Sweets' book last night?" That's his Bones, always jumping right in.

"Of course I did, I promised you I would didn't I?"

"Well, what do you think of the observations Sweets' made?"

"Since you already mentioned the thing about us being alike I can only assume you're referring to the stuff he said about us being attracted to each other and all of that."

"Yes, that and the theory that one of us was aware of and fighting this attraction, that this struggle was beginning to cause stress on our partnership. Since I've only recently come to terms with my attraction to you, I can only assume you were the one he believed was aware of the attraction and have been fighting it. I've also noticed you've been extremely irritable lately and I can't help but wonder if there is any basis to what Sweets wrote."

Well she was willing to admit she was attracted to him. That was a good thing, right?

"So you want to know if I've got the hots for you and if so, is that why I've been so angry lately?"

"I suppose that's another way to describe it, yes."

"What if I said I agreed with Sweets?"

"Excuse me? I'm not sure I understand."

Booth couldn't help but lean in. "Hypothetically, let's say I agree with everything Sweets wrote. What then? What good would it do?"

"Well, hypothetically, once we established that there was a problem, we could then begin finding a resolution."

"Resolution? What kind of resolution would you propose?"

"Still speaking hypothetically, I would suggest a possible outlet for the tension. Perhaps engaging in sex would help curb the attraction and relieve the stress. Then we could continue with our partnership."

Booth felt his mouth drop open at her suggestion. How was she still able to surprise him after so long?

Snapping his jaw shut he asked, "So you're suggesting a one-nighter? We can scratch the itch and then go on about our business?"

"If that is what it takes to resolve this issue, then yes, that is what I'm suggesting. Hypothetically."

"Geez Bones, all this time we've spent together and that's the kind of guy you think I am? Have you not been listening? Man, I can't believe you would even suggest something like that. Wait, no I can, this is exactly the kind of thing you'd say. Thinking with your brain and not your heart." Booth sat back again feeling the need to put some distance between them.

"What's that suppose to mean? Are you upset? You can't get upset. This is a hypothetical discussion, a scientific discourse where theories are shared. There's no reason to get angry."

"Believe me, there is nothing scientific about this discussion Bones. We are real people with real feelings. Well at least one of us is."

"That's not fair. And I don't understand why you're so angry. Obviously there is something wrong with our partnership and I want to find a way to repair it. Don't you want to fix it?"

"Of course I do Bones, but jumping into bed with each other isn't the way to do it."

"It seems perfectly logical to me, Booth. If you're sexual attraction to me is making you agitated then it would only make sense that giving in to that attraction would be the solution."

"You can't always apply logic and reason to people Bones. I thought you had figured that out by now. Look, let's just drop this for right now and focus on the case. We know we can still solve crimes, right?"

"That doesn't seem to have been affected, no."

"Good, then we'll stick with that." Booth's cell rang and checking the caller ID he was glad to see it was the office, hopefully with information on William Sutherland. Grateful for the distraction he answered quickly. He listened as the agent on the line gave him the address of the assisted living home and informed him of Sutherland's death four months earlier. Wonderful, another delay, and this day had started off so well. Booth just wanted to identify their victim, find the murderer and put them behind bars.

"Come on Bones, we've got an address on William Sutherland, but it looks like he passed away four months ago." Booth stood up throwing money down for lunch. "Let's head over to the nursing home and see if we can at least get an ID on Rose."

"Ok, but we need to finish our discussion." Bones jumped up after him.

"Well that depends, are you going to make anymore crazy suggestions?"

"It wasn't a crazy suggestion Booth. And regardless of how you feel, we still need to finish this conversation."

Stepping out on the sidewalk Booth asked, "Just not right now, ok? Let's just focus on finding out what happened to Rose Sutherland."

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After a quiet ride to the nursing home, they were able to confirm with the administrator, Christina Markham, that William Sutherland had been a resident, but had arrived alone. Mrs. Markham had then referred them to one of the orderlies, Benjamin Clarkston, saying that they had shared a close relationship and he might be able to give them more information.

Benjamin Clarkston turned out to be tall and lanky, around mid-twenties with an honest face. They had found him mopping at the end of a quiet hallway and they were using the secluded location to conduct the interview.

"Yeah, I knew Mr. Sutherland. He was a really nice old guy. He had lots of really great stories from the war. You know, World War II."

Anxious to confirm their victim Booth asked, "Did he ever mention Rose Sutherland?"

"Yeah, sure, that was his wife. She passed away right before he moved here. He was really upset about it."

Bones jumped in, "Did he ever show you a picture of Rose? Would you recognize her if you saw her?"

"He had a photo of them he kept by his bed, I'm sure I probably could, yeah."

Booth held up Angela's rendering. "Does this look like her?"

"Yeah, that's definitely Mrs. Sutherland. He talked about her all the time. Apparently she was sick for a long time. Her death really shook him up, he didn't talk about it much. That may be why he didn't last too long in here. You see that kind of thing a lot. One goes and the other follows not to long afterwards."

"Do you know if they kept any of his personal belongings?"

"Normally when there's no family, we donate any clothing or furniture they might have left and shred any personal papers, but since I was so close to Mr. Sutherland, I kept a few things that were important to him. I just couldn't see them destroyed."

Brennan handed him her card. "Here's the address for the Jeffersonian, if you could please have them sent over as soon as possible that would be really great."

Benjamin put the card in his pocket. "Yeah, sure, no problem, the stuff is at my place. I'm off in a couple of hours. I'll drive them over as soon as I round everything up."

"Thank you, you've been very helpful."

As they walked out Booth said, "Well Bones now we have a confirmed ID and we know why Rose Sutherland wasn't reported missing. We're one step closer to finding out who killed her." Too bad he wasn't any closer to fixing him and Bones.


	7. Chapter 7

Late that afternoon Benjamin Clarkston proved true to his word and showed up with a box containing William Sutherland's personal effects. He found Angela and Brennan in her office.

"Here's everything I kept of Mr. Sutherland's. There's some letters she sent him while he was in the war, a few pictures and a journal he kept. I haven't really gone through it, didn't seem right somehow. I just couldn't let them get trashed. He read her letters almost every day. He said it made him feel like she was still alive. Said it was like being in the war again."

Angela took the box placing it on the coffee table in front of her. She carefully opened it and began pulling items out.

"Thank you Mr. Clarkston for bringing this to us."

"Oh, you're welcome, I'm glad I could help. If someone hurt Mrs. Sutherland I want to help anyway I can. Would it be wrong to ask if I can have his stuff back after you've finished? I don't have a lot of family myself, so Mr. Sutherland was kind of important to me. I'd like to keep something to remember him by if that's ok."

"Of course. I'll make sure everything is sent to you after we've concluded our investigation. We will be very careful with the box and its contents."

"Thank you."

After Benjamin left, Angela looked up from the items she had been pulling out of the box. "Hey Bren, come and take a look at this."

Brennan sat beside her on the couch and Angela began showing Brennan letters tied up in a red ribbon, a marriage certificate and a stack of old photos. "Notice anything significant?"

Brennan carefully looked at the documents. "It would appear that William Sutherland was Caucasian and Rose Sutherland was African American."

"Yep, and it looks like they were married in Kansas. One of the very few states where it wasn't illegal in 1946."

At that moment Hodgins walked through the office door. "Based on the algae, sand particulates and one very cute newborn beetle, our victim entered the water around a park off of one of the tributaries north of the Potomac. Just a five minute cab ride from William Sutherland's home."

Brennan looked up from the papers in her lap. "Thank you Hodgins, I'll give Booth a call."

"While you're at it, you might want to mention this." Angela held out a key. "I found it in the bottom of the box."

"Can you see if you can find out what it unlocks? And if you could please finish going through the remaining contents, including reading the letters and the journal, we might find something that can tell us why Rose was murdered." Brennan stood up heading to her desk to call Booth.

Angela began putting the contents back in the box. "Hey, what is all of that you have there?" Hodgins peered over the back of the couch with interest.

"Some personal belongings of William Sutherland. Not only did the man face down the Nazis in Germany, he also faced down prejudice here in 1940's America." Angela held up a photograph of the couple.

"Wow, this guy had no fear."

"Don't idolize him so quickly." Brennan spoke up from her desk. "Let's not forget our victim was poisoned with her own medication. Rationally speaking those closest to her would have the most opportunity. That makes William Sutherland a suspect. Booth is going to send out a team to look for evidence near the park."

"Man Bren, always so quick with the rain cloud. Can't you give me a few minutes to wallow in the romance?"

"I just want everyone to remain objective, Angela."

"Don't worry Sweetie, we won't forget we have a murderer to catch. I'll let you know as soon as I have something on the key." Angela stood and walked out of Brennan's office, Hodgins following in her wake.

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Angela set the box down at her desk and placed the key on her scanner. Hodgins walked to the desk and began sifting through the box.

"Hey, look at this, it's a Medal of Honor. That's the top of the medal food chain. Only forty percent were awarded to live recipients during World War II."

"Wow. I know Brennan said to lay off the hero worship, but the more I know about this man, the more I can't help myself."

"Yeah, it just doesn't fit that a man would fight so hard for his country and the woman he loves to give up like that. But that was sixty years ago. A lot could have changed since then."

"You didn't hear the way the orderly from the nursing home was talking about him. He could still inspire hero worship sixty years later. It doesn't sound like a lot has changed."

Hodgins put the medal back and turned to Angela. "Alzheimer's is a tough disease. Couples give up over less. We did."

"Maybe we didn't have what they had. Obviously we didn't face anything as difficult as separation during a world war or racial prejudices and look how easily we let go."

"I can't help but ask myself now, why did we let us go? Because honestly Ange, I can't remember anymore."

"It all happened so fast. One moment we were happy and planning the rest of our lives together and then the next we weren't. Why did we give up so easily? Why didn't we fight harder?"

"I don't know. But I do know this, life is too short to live with what ifs. And I don't want you to be a what if. It's ok for people to have doubts. But it's what you do about those doubts that's important. Sometimes you have to have faith in each other to get you through those times of uncertainties."

"But we had doubts about each other Jack. We didn't have faith."

"But that wasn't it, not really. I couldn't really understand why you, this amazingly free-spirited beautiful woman, would want me. And then when I met the guy you were giving up, I just couldn't help it, that insecurity got the better of me. But I know now. I know what we had. You know the old cliché, you don't realize what you had until it's gone. And I was the idiot that let it go."

"Well you know clichés are cliché for a reason. Who's to say we won't just give up again? Walk away? We did before."

"Because now I've seen what the future looks like without you. I will never throw it away again. If you give us another chance I promise you I'll never let you go without a fight again."

"Not without a fight huh? You know, the best sex is always make-up sex after a fight." Angela said stepping into his waiting arms.

"So I've been told."

"So that just means I may have to test that proclamation once in a while."

Hodgins smile could have singlehandedly powered the Eastern Seaboard. "Bring it on baby, I'm up for it."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"So what we have so far is a man who served in World War II, earned a Medal of Honor, the highest medal awarded for extreme bravery and typically given posthumously, who then came home and moved to Kansas because it was one of only a few states at the time that didn't see interracial marriage as an illegal offense. That about cover it?"

Earlier that morning Angela had successfully identified the key as belonging to a long term storage facility located near the nursing home. Booth and Brennan were currently on their way to check it out.

"Well, don't forget that the body of his wife was dumped in a Potomac tributary near a park that is only minutes away from their home. Not to mention the fact that she suffered from two debilitating diseases and was poisoned with her own medication. Those facts present motive and opportunity."

"You know, you shouldn't jump to conclusions like that Bones, you aren't very good at it."

"What? I wasn't jumping to any conclusions. I was simply presenting the remaining facts that you so conveniently left out."

"I didn't conveniently leave anything out. I'm just not convinced that he's our killer. It just doesn't add up."

"How can it not add up? If you look at the evidence objectively he definitely had opportunity and it couldn't have been easy taking care of a woman that could barely get around and who undoubtedly suffered from severe lapses of memory. That would give to motive. He might have even considered it a merciful death. I can't imagine it would be easy watching someone you care for suffer like that."

"But that's the thing Bones. William Sutherland was not the kind of man that took the easy way out. He fought for our country, he fought for the woman he loved and I can't believe he would give up like that in the end. It just doesn't fit."

"Is that your gut talking?"

"Look, you and I both know its best if you stick with finding out the facts and I'll handle the human aspect. Ok?"

"Is it because he was in the military? Is that why you can't imagine him as a murderer?"

"His military career gives evidence to his integrity. A man like that doesn't risk his life to save others and then kill the woman he loves. A woman he fought to keep."

"Love is ephemeral Booth. They were married over sixty years. Maybe he just got tired of fighting."

"You never get tired of fighting for the woman you love Bones. Never. You fight as long as you have to and then you fight some more. That's what William Sutherland did, he fought for the woman he loved. Are you hearing me Bones? He didn't give up."

Brennan studied Booth's profile as she let this new piece of information sink in. Something in Booth's adamant insistence in his belief in this man pulled at her subconscious. There was something here she wasn't getting, a nuance that she was missing. She was so tired of missing the little details that most found so easy to see. Understanding the human psyche was exhausting. She was frustrated with Booth's current attitude and decided a change in topic was in order.

"Have you had a chance to think over my proposition?"

"Proposition? What proposition are you talking about?"

"My offer from yesterday as a possible solution to the current strain on our partnership. Don't tell me you haven't thought about it."

"Bones, I've been trying to _not_ think about it. In fact, let's just forget you even offered. That is not a path I want to go down."

"Are you concerned we won't be sexually compatible? I can assure you I'm very good in bed. I've been complemented on many occasions."

"Oh God Bones, please don't go there." Even though Brennan wasn't adept at reading facial expressions, she did recognize the look of pain that flashed briefly on Booth's face. Why would he be in pain? "No, I'm not concerned about our sexual compatibility, I'm sure we'd be very compatible. It's just that I don't think it's going to solve anything is all. I think it'll only create more problems for us."

Brennan sighed in frustration. "Then what do you suggest Booth? Because I'm beginning to think you aren't interested in fixing this."

"Look Bones, our problems aren't going to be fixed with a quick roll in the hay, I assure you. Quit being so quick to try to fix everything. Try a little patience."

Brennan decided to let the subject drop for now. Unraveling the Booth mystery would have to wait for later. They had a murdered to catch.

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The trip to the storage facility had proven fruitful. They found even more love letters both from Rose and William, it appeared they continued communicating with letters even after he returned from the war. They also found medical records leading them to the Sutherland's family physician.

The story Dr. Sorensen told them was very similar to the one Benjamin Clarkston shared. William Sutherland loved his wife very much, and had pressed the doctor for any possible medical treatment that could help her. So much that Dr. Sorensen had recommended a clinical trial for Alzheimer's patients. He said that Mrs. Sutherland just barely fit the patient profile they were working with, but he had managed to pull some strings to have her included. Dr. Sorensen gave them the name and contact information of the trial's administrator, Christina Markham. Booth and Brennan would have to wait until tomorrow to follow up on that lead. It was already late in the day and Booth was grateful for the excuse to drop Bones off at the Jeffersonian.

William Sutherland had loved his wife. Booth was absolutely certain of that, as certain as he was that he didn't kill her. Why couldn't Bones see that? How could anyone be so shut down that they refused to see evidence so clearly in front of them? It must be his need for self flagellation in an effort to absolve his sins that drew him to this woman. Or maybe it was the fact that he knew he had met his match. He could spend lifetimes trying to figure her out. She challenged him in ways he had never thought possible. She was always willing to meet him head on. She never backed down, she did not give up. So why didn't she acknowledge the same traits in William Sutherland?

Booth couldn't help but feel that he had somehow failed her. If this fantastically brilliant woman was unable to recognize the attributes of love, then he had failed to properly show her. Discussions of magic and miracles had obviously been too vague. Promises of someday and someone had been too cryptic. And that damn line. How could he have been such a fool? Dr. Temperance Brennan was a literal woman. She dealt in facts and evidence and he had failed to provide her with any. He had left her to her own conclusions and what had she come up with? A one night stand, a temporary solution to a permanent problem that she had yet to truly understand the scope.

Well it was time to show her. First he would solve the murder of Rose Sutherland, prove to Bones that William did not kill his wife. Give her evidence that love was not temporary. Love is worth holding on to. Then he would show her what it really meant to be loved by Seeley Booth. Not just any man, but him and only him. He would make sure he was the last man she would ever have love her, no other man would get the chance. There would no longer be any doubt in her mind his intentions once he had finished.


	9. Chapter 9

The day had been a difficult one. Christina Markham had been very polite and very sympathetic, but she had had no information regarding Rose Sutherland. In fact, her records indicated Mrs. Sutherland had never been a part of the trial. When Booth pressed with the information Dr. Sorensen had shared Ms. Markham had suggested that the doctor had been confused, maybe he had only been able to get Rose in for a consultation, but not the clinical position as he originally thought. She was absolutely certain Rose Sutherland had never been a trial patient.

On the way back from the clinic Booth had been especially quiet. Something in his tone with Christina Markham led Brennan to believe he didn't completely believe her story. How could he be so certain? How was it possible for Booth to look at one human being and see deceit, but yet he could read the history of another and trust so implicitly in his innocence? She would have asked Booth that very question had it not been for Booth's reaction to her presentation of evidence supporting William Sutherland's guilt yesterday. For some reason it was important to Booth that she believe in this man's innocence. She was still working out why.

Could it be his military service? A little research revealed that only four hundred and sixty-four medals were awarded to military personnel that served in World War II. The story of William Sutherland's bravery told of his willingness to risk his own life to save the life of the men in his company. Brennan knew Booth had also selflessly risked his life for those around him during combat and even had first-hand knowledge of this quality. She knew that having both served in the military Booth would naturally feel an affinity toward the man, but she had never seen him use this as an excuse to overlook anyone's guilt before.

Booth had continually pressed that William Sutherland loved his wife and fought for that love. Brennan knew enough about Booth's personal history to know that Booth had lost the women he had loved. Rebecca had rejected his marriage proposal and Tessa had ended the relationship once the subject of cohabitation had been broached. His affair with Cam ended when it became apparent their association put her in jeopardy. Could Booth feel remorse at the losses? Guilt for not having fought harder? Could he be trying to tell her something? Was he thinking of fighting for what he had lost? Rebecca was currently involved in a committed relationship. As far as she knew there had been no more sexual liaisons between the two. However, Booth hadn't been very forthcoming in regard to that subject lately. She had seen no evidence from either Booth or Cam to indicate they had resumed their previous acquaintance, although she had apparently been the last to know before. Had Tessa and Booth resumed contact? Was he considering rekindling a past relationship?

"Bones, what are you doing?" Brennan looked up from her desk as Booth strode into her office.

"I'm finishing some paperwork on an identification."

"What? What about Rose?"

"What do you mean, what about Rose?"

"I mean, why aren't you giving her your eagle eye treatment and find out what happened?"

"Booth, we've already thoroughly examined the remains. There isn't anything else to be learned. At this point William Sutherland is our most likely suspect and unless we find anymore external evidence disputing this theory we may never know for sure."

Booth came around the side of Brennan's desk and leaned over her, caging her in her chair. "Look, Bones, I know the conclusions you've made about this case and William Sutherland, and I'm telling you, you're wrong. Now, I need you to go back and keep looking. Angela and Hodgins are going through the rest of the personal effects we found in the storage unit, looking for anything else. So you have to pitch in and do your part as well."

Brennan found herself caught in Booth's stare. At times like these she would have sworn Booth had the ability to hypnotize with a look, if she believed in that kind of thing. She could almost feel the force of his will attempting to bend her. A small voice argued that she push back if for nothing else than the principle. But a larger part of her wanted to follow him, even if blindly. The fact that Booth believed in this man's innocence so completely was enough.

"Ok, if you think there's something else there, then I'll take another look."

"Thank you, Bones. You won't be sorry."

Brennan held her breath for a few moments, waiting. If anyone would have asked her what she was waiting for she couldn't have said, but she waited anyway. Somehow feeling the unknown moment had passed and silently acknowledging the small feeling of bereavement, Brennan expelled a breath and said, "First you're going to have to let me up."

"What? Oh, yeah, sorry." Booth slightly stumbled as he backed up, looking a little off balance. "Ok, good. Well I'm going to head back to the office, see if I can get anything else from some background checks. Let me know when you find something."

Brennan watched Booth leave as she put on her lab coat. She noted that he had used the term _when_ she found something, not _if_. Oddly, she felt that that statement conveyed Booth's unwavering trust in her abilities just as much as his belief in William Sutherland's innocence.

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Angela swiped her card and walked up the steps of the platform. She paused stopping to admire her friend as she examined the skeletal remains of Rose Sutherland. No one worked with the same single minded dedication. When Temperance Brennan focused on a project, it received her full attention. It was quite possible she had no idea several hours had passed since Booth had rallied the troops.

"Here Sweetie, I thought you could use a little caffeinated rejuvenation."

Brennan barely looked up before gesturing to a side table. "Thanks Angela, could you please set it over there?"

"Oh no, I recognize a brush off when I see one. I'm going to have to insist you actually take this from my hands. That way I can guarantee you'll at least take a sip or two before setting it down."

Had Brennan actually ever used the expression, Angela would have sworn she saw an eye roll.

Brennan took the cup asking, "Have you and Hodgins had any success with the personal effects?"

"No. So far we've only managed to confirm they were familiar with the park. That's where he proposed only hours after returning home from the war."

"Unfortunately that only gives further evidence towards William's guilt. Booth is convinced he was not responsible for Rose's death."

"Is that why you're here at all hours of the night? Working to find hard evidence to prove Booth right?"

Setting down her cup, Brennan picked up another bone holding it under the magnifying glass. "You and Hodgins are also here late working to help support Booth's opinion."

"Yes, but that's probably more due to the threat of a shooting hanging over our heads. Booth doesn't scare or intimidate you. What gives?"

"Booth has demonstrated on more than one occasion an ability to discern a person's guilt. This would not be the first time his insistence has led us to find additional evidence. I just wish for once I understood from where this motivation came."

"What do you mean?"

Brennan put down the bone and turned toward Angela. "What does he see in the history of this man that has him believing so completely in his innocence? He's never met the man."

"Has he given you any indication of why he's so adamant?"

"He keeps saying that William Sutherland loved his wife too much to kill her. That he would not have given up like that. But I've seen too much evidence to support that love is not as impervious as Booth believes. Take you and Hodgins for example. Your relationship was not able to withstand the pressure from external influences and as a result you ended it."

"Well that's not entirely true. I told you to not write us off yet. We had a good talk yesterday and we're going to give it another try."

"Do you really think that's a good idea? I mean, have the issues really been resolved? Who's to say you won't run into the same problems again? Statistically speaking there's a high probability the relationship will end."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Sweetie."

"I'm sorry, I'm only trying to offer rational advice."

"That's the thing, love isn't always rational. In fact, it almost never is. Love is being able to hold on even when faced with insurmountable odds. It's also being able to forgive one another when they've hurt you. That's what Jack and I have decided to do. Forgive. Move on. We decided we were too important to give up on."

"I just don't understand why you would willingly risk getting hurt like that again. Doesn't it scare you?"

Angela searched Brennan's face for a few moments. Finally, they were getting somewhere. "Of course it does. But that's a gamble I have to take. The payoff is too big to ignore. We're talking about the possibility of the rest of our lives here. I owe it to our future children to give him a chance. They would be too adorable and I don't wanna miss the opportunity to meet them."

"Do you think Booth feels the same way? I mean, not about you and Jack, but about relationships?"

"I can tell you with absolute certainty he does." Angela watched as Brennan mulled this over. She would have thought this new piece of information would bring Brennan comfort, but at the moment the only emotion she saw on her friend's face was sadness.


End file.
